Category: Homilies

I post the text and audio of my Sunday homilies here for anyone who wants to go back to something they liked or catch something they missed. I sometimes include links to resources that I mention, so that you aren’t left guessing how to follow up on anything I may have challenged you to do.

I put up every weekend homily and the homilies for special feast days like Christmas or the Assumption.

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Homily for the 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time: Eucharistic Coherence

Posted on by Father Albert
21st Sunday of Ordinary Time, B                                                                  August 22, 2021Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/YgEbIEjTHfM “If it does not please you to serve the LORD, decide today whom you will serve.” For five weeks we’ve journeyed through John chapter 6. We’ve reflected on hunger and weakness and fasting. We’ve considered the limitations of this world and that we need to work at having faith to live from an eternal perspective. We’ve challenged the temptation of focusing too much on what we can get instead of what we can give. We’ve rejoiced at the promises of the Eucharist, especially...Read More

Homily for the Assumption of Mary: The Bodily Promise of Glory

Posted on by Father Albert
Assumption of Mary                                                                                       August 15, 2021Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/691Gxq-cc34 "From this day all generations will call me blessed.” So Mary proclaims in a moment of great joy. Indeed, we are interrupting our journey through John Chapter 6 to acclaim the blessedness of Mary. Why, though? Why honor Mary in this way? Because “the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name.” Yes, as always when we honor a saint, we are ultimately honoring what God has done in and through that saint. That’s truer of Mary than anyone else....Read More

Homily for the 19th Sunday of Ordinary Time: Feeding Faith

Posted on by Father Albert
19th Sunday of Ordinary Time, B                                                                  August 8, 2021Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/UuB4BmoG7OI Elijah the prophet is depressed, worn out, ready to give up and die. But then he gets up and walks 40 days and 40 nights. What changed? God gave him some hearth cakes – bread – to eat. This bread gave him that strength. But that bread is a mere foreshadowing of the Eucharist. If the symbol is powerful enough to keep him going 40 days, how much more powerful must the real thing be? “Whoever eats this bread will live forever.” That’s...Read More

Homily for the 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time: Food Worth Working For

Posted on by Father Albert
18th Sunday of Ordinary Time, B                                                                              July 25th, 2021Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/bQM64w1JMeg “You are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled.” Is that what you’re doing? I said last week that hunger and need is good… that we actually should be hungry for what Jesus offers. It’s still true, but hunger can also mislead. This crowd begins with a willingness to sacrifice food to get to Jesus but ends up following Jesus precisely because he can give them food. That’s me! I have done that...Read More

Homily for the 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time: It Begins With Hunger

Posted on by Father Albert
17th Sunday of Ordinary Time, B                                                                              July 25th, 2021Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/SbCpnC6Ad1Q Are you hungry? Are you willing to be hungry? Because that’s how this whole thing starts. The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life, the gift where God literally gives us himself… and it started with a crowd that was willing to go hungry. Not that they said anything about being hungry. These people saw paralyzed men get up and walk, fevers disappear, leprosy wiped away by Jesus. So they followed him without cell phones and google maps. Jesus was...Read More

Homily for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time: The Lord Is Our Shepherd

Posted on by Father Albert
16th Sunday of Ordinary Time, B                                                                              July 18th, 2021Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/VD8LvVmGWeM “Like sheep without a shepherd.” It’s too easy to make these readings about pointing fingers; To point at the pope’s latest controversy or at the failures of various bishops or at whatever pastor did whatever you think was a problem. Online I’m sure you’ll find homilies and articles and blog posts that do exactly that this weekend. What good will it do? If you hear a homily or read something that uses the first reading and takes...Read More

Homily for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time: The Kingdom of Healing

Posted on by Father Albert
15th Sunday of Ordinary Time, B                                                                              July 11th, 2021Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/_mTau59tI44 Repentance, Exorcisms, and Healings; three characteristics of the Apostle’s ministry seen in this passage. To this day, they remain a core part of the Church’s mission. The Church exists to proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven. Indeed, the Church is the kingdom of Christ already present in mystery. That’s what St. Paul is talking about in that really complicated second reading. There is a mystical reality that’s something deeper than bureaucracy, buildings, and bishops. The Church is Christ’s...Read More

Homily for the 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time: Prophetic Patriotism

Posted on by Father Albert
14th Sunday of Ordinary Time, B                                                                              July 4th, 2021Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/NGyzAF_kXfA “He was amazed at their lack of faith.” Just a few verses before, as we heard last weekend, Jesus raised someone from the dead! He cured a woman simply because she touched his clothes with faith. Coming from the joy of being able to reward such faith, Jesus is astounded at the contrast, the hard-heartedness of his own friends and family that blocks them from seeing similar miracles. As an aside, if you’re wondering about the brothers...Read More

Homily for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Vending Jesus

Posted on by Father Albert
13th Sunday of Ordinary Time, B                                                                              June 27, 2021Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/6A679v2gTuE Jesus is not a vending machine. You can’t just go to Jesus, put in some faith, and then get what you want back. Yet, many people treat it like this. You can almost excuse them because it kinda seems to work in the gospels. Every time Jesus encounters someone with faith, he performs a miracle. When four friends bring a paralyzed man, he sees their faith and heals the man. He repeatedly tells people to have faith...Read More

Homily for the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Expecting the Kingdom

Posted on by Father Albert
11th Sunday of Ordinary Time, B                                                                              June 13, 2021Fr. Albert                                                                                St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette https://youtu.be/RjBofkd3nsE I first arrived in Jeanerette in February, about the time that those little yellow flowers take over just about every open space they can find. Each year since, I’ve looked forward to that time of year, especially since the yellow ones are then followed by white ones, then pink and blue and now we’re seeing the purple ones. As a community so rooted in farming, the spontaneity and variety of these flowers are an important reminder that...Read More